weldon



(No Modem 2 sheets-sheet 1.

A. WELDON. FLOAT POR LOW WATER ALARMS.

Patented Oct. 27, 1885.

` (No ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.\

A. WELDON. FLOAT POR LOW WATER ALARMS.

N0. 329,248. Patented Oct. 27, 1.885.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE. y

ALFRED WELDON, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

FLOATFOR LOW-i-WATER ALARMS.

PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.329,248. dated October 27, 1885.

Application filed July 14, 1885.. Serial No. 171,620. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern: Y

Beit known that I, ALFRED WELDoN, `of the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Floats for Low-Water Alarms, &c., of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to an improvement in the construction of the hollow metallic floats which are used in low-waterv alarms for steam-boilers, steam-traps, and other similar apparatus for moving a valve or cock by the rising and falling of the water-level in the appar-atus. It is a well-known fact that these hollow floats are liable to become filled with water in course of time, notwithstanding the utmost care is used to make them water-tight. Inorder to relieve the floats from the water which cannot be wholly excluded therefrom they have been provided with hollow stems or arms, which open into thesurrounding atmosphere, and which constitute drains, through which the water escapes from the iioats as fast as it enters the same. The float is by this means prevented from sinking; but as the hollow stem or arm opens into the surrounding atmosphere through a stuffing-box in the wall of the casing in which the iioat is arranged or through the plug of a cock the free movement of the float is interfered with by the friction of thestufng-box, or of the plug in its case, and rendered uncertain, as the resistance of the stuffing-box or cock is variable, and increases or decreases as the stuffing-box or cockis tightened or loosened. This is a serious objection in anautomatic apparatus, as its automatic action may at any time be accidentally changed or interrupted by the improper adjustment of the stuffing-box or cock.

The object of my invention is to overcome this difficulty and to construct a drained or ventilated iioat which is capable of a free movement in opening and closing the valve which is controlled by the iioat.

My invention consists to that end of theimprovements, which will behereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a low-water alarm for steam-boilers provided with my improved ioat. Fig. 2 is a vertical slightly-modified construction of the alarm. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation illustrating the application of my improved float to a steamtrap.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several igures.

A represents the hollow float, constructed of copper or other suitable material, and provided with a hollow stem, a, which communicates with the internal space or cavity of the oat and opensinto the outer air, thereby placing the interior of' the hollow float in communication with the outer air.

b represents a valve, which is formed on or secured directly to the hollow stem a, so as to surround the stem, and which controls the ilow of the liquid or fluid f rom the case or chamber in which the iloat is arranged. v

Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4 illustrate the use of my improved float in a low-water alarm for steamboilers. In these figures G represents an upright cylindrical chamber connected at its upper end with the steam-space of a steam-boiler by a pipe, d, and at its lower end with the water-space of the boiler by a pipe, d. The chamber C is also provided with the usual gage-cocks, e, and glass gage e', andat its lower end with a blow-oft` pipe, e2. j

F is a sleeve secured in the top plate of the chamber C, and provided with a central passage, f, which is provided near its upper end with a valve-seat, g, against which the valve d closes when the iioat is raised by the water in the chamber C.

G is a cap, which is secured to the upper end of the sleeve F, and h a chamber formed between the cap G and sleeve F, and communicating with the upper end of the passage f.

I represents a whistle mounted on the cap G, and communicating with the chamber h.

As represented in Figs. 2 and 3, the upper end of the hollow stem a projects through the cap G and opens directly into the outer air; but, if preferred, the upper end of the stem a may open into the chamber h and communicate with the outer air through the whistle, as represented in Fig. 4.

IOO

When the water-level in the chamber C stands above the lowest permissible or alarm line, the buoyancy of the float holds the valve b against the valve'seat g, as represented in Fig. 3, and prevents the escape of steam from the chamber G through the passage f. When the water-level in the chamber C sinks to the alarm-line, the float descends and opens the valve b, as represented in Fig. 4, thereby permitting the steam to escape from the chamber C through the whistle and sound the latter.

In the construction represented in Figs. 2 and 3 the steam escaping from the upper end of the passage f enters the chamber h and passes thence through the whistle, as the opening in the cap G is practically closed by the stem a, the slightleakage of steam around the stem being insufficient to interfere with the proper sounding of the whistle. These movements of the fioat are perfectly free and unobstructed by any stufngbox or packing, so that the automatic action of the float is uniform at all times and not liable to be interrupted. If any water leaks into the float, the heat of the surrounding water evaporates the water in the float, and the vapor so formed escapes through the hollow stem a, thereby preventing moisture from accumulating in the float in sufficient quantity to impairthe working of the oat or cause it to sink. The vapor which escapes from the hollow stemaand passes through the whistle in the construction represented in Fig. 4 is of course incapable of sounding the whistle.

Fig. 5 illustrates the application of the float to a steam-trap. In this case the sleeve F is secured to the bottom of the chamber in which the float is arranged and the central passage, f, of the sleeve serves to discharge the water from the chamber intermittently into a suitable drain or receiver. 'Ihe water which enters the hollow oat drains off through the hollow stem a.

I claim as my invention- 1. A hollow lloat provided with ahollow stem communicating with the cavity of the float, and an annular valve surrounding the hollow stem, whereby the cavity of the float is placed in communication with the outer air through the hollow stem and valve, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with an inclosing-cham ber having an outlet-passage provided with a valve-seat, of a hollow float provided with a hollowr stem, whereby the cavity of the ioat communicates with the cuter air, and a valve which is formed or secured around said hollow stem and closes against said valveseat, substantially as set forth. y

3. The combination, with the chamber C, having au outlet-passage, f, provided with a valve-seat, g, and a whistle, I, of the hollow float A, provided with'a hollow stem, a, communicating with the cavity of the loat and opening into the outer air, and a valve, b, formed on or secured to the hollow stem a, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 7th day of July, 1885.

' ALFRED WELDON.

Witnesses:

JNO. J. BONNER, Oscar@ SCHAUL. 

